A Philippine air force C-130 aircraft transporting at least 85 people has crashed after missing the runway during landing on Sunday.

“At least 40 people have been rescued from the burning wreckage of the C-130, which crashed as it tried to land on Jolo island in Sulu province,” said General Cirilito Sobejana, the country's armed forces chief.

“Responders are at the site now, we are praying we can save more lives, the 40 rescued were taken to the nearby 11th Infantry Division hospital,” Sobejano added.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft.

The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol, and aerial firefighting. It is now the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide.

More than 40 variants of the Hercules, including civilian versions marketed as the Lockheed L-100, operate in more than 60 nations. (ILKHA)